Traps/Chokepoints/brigandTools

TheWolfofGar

How would people feel about skills for Caravan Raiders (Brigands) such as blocking roads with fallen trees which caravan escorts need to work to clear before being able to progress on their route or turn around, meaning you could theoretically hire/set up a team of brigands who block the roads into or out of a node meaning the node will encourage/hire players to clear these obstacles or active traps like logs or rocks on a hill that can be actively triggered to spring and potentially damage a caravan on the road. Caravan defenders could get scouting abilities to notice traps up hill / the ability to off road around obstacles without losing speed

These obstacles could be small area open pvp areas, however to compensate I think you should only be able to have them only in a few particular areas on each road strategically or only 1 block every x number of feet on a road, so you can't spam a barrier every 15 feet. Part of being a proper caravan master could be arranging scouts who relay information on any potential hazards on the road ahead leading you to decide to take path b instead of path a because it looks like path a has some brigands camping.

tautau

I think that any caravan master worth their salt is going to have scouts checking the planned route back and forth ahead of time, as well as having alts to log in at choke points to check them as well.

They should have scouts checking several potential routes before setting out.

Biccus

I absolutely love the idea myself before I think too much on it. It gives something extra to the brigand experience. There are obviously issue regarding if multiple groups each want to use one on the same caravan. But that’s what’s testing is for.
If caravans are tested and seem to easy. Things like this could be interesting additions.

TheWolfofGar

Biccus wrote: »

I absolutely love the idea myself before I think too much on it. It gives something extra to the brigand experience. There are obviously issue regarding if multiple groups each want to use one on the same caravan. But that’s what’s testing is for.
If caravans are tested and seem to easy. Things like this could be interesting additions.

I think thats part of the benefit if multiple groups are trying to patrol the same area they can either group up or fight over the same target, imagine planning a trap on a caravan you got inside info on, only for a rag tag band of brigands try to take your mark, you may actually defend the caravan only to turn on it later. or let people know x paths are your territory and you'll pvp any who try to move in on your marks

TheWolfofGar

tautau wrote: »

They should have scouts checking several potential routes before setting out.

agreed they should, but what are those scouts looking for? if these systems aren't in place are you going to change course because your scout happened to see a random character on the road? also depending on the time to set up/build traps, you could wait for a guy on horseback to run through then start building gives some counterplay also brigands could work the other way if we block 5 roads keep one person at each scouting for what road the caravan goes so we can link up and ambush and that way if were coordinated you'll need to wait or try and fight your way through

Strevi

tautau wrote: »

I think that any caravan master worth their salt is going to have scouts checking the planned route back and forth ahead of time, as well as having alts to log in at choke points to check them as well.

They should have scouts checking several potential routes before setting out.

Except in the ocean where scouts will be hunted and killed.
Hence higher risk for the caravan.

DeviLzFury_Gaming

I like this idea. But i think we need to know more about Caravans and how they play on a broader base to see if they are "to easy" or "to hard" as they are in place now.

Although i think it would be really cool to have this added as it would give so much to game play on both sides. Planning to send one off takes a lot of prep and is a huge gamble already, this would make these even more valuable now.

Think A2 is a good place to test this, have caravans start off as intended now and if they are to one sided or "not as fun" as planed this could be an easy add to gain the fun and or difficulty needed.

I like it

daveywavey

I wonder if you could use your own caravan to block another caravan, and use your guards to attack the other...

Do we know what happens when two separate caravans converge? Is it like Crossing The Streams in Ghostbusters?

CroakerRPG

I think something like this could work as a guild perk for bandit-oriented guilds. I would set it up as a long cooldown ability - perhaps once per week, lasting for a 24 hour duration - that reduces caravan travel speed in the node it is used in. Have roadways "degrade" through the appearance of cosmetic potholes, branches, and other debris that would naturally hinder a cart.

On the opposite side of things, having a guild perk that improves road conditions and speeds up caravan travel for a similar duration would provide a good play/counterplay balance, effectively overwriting each other. I think there are a few interesting ways to indirectly influence the nature of nodes in a system like this.

TheWolfofGar

daveywavey wrote: »

I wonder if you could use your own caravan to block another caravan, and use your guards to attack the other...

Do we know what happens when two separate caravans converge? Is it like Crossing The Streams in Ghostbusters?

good question, it could be since you need to choose a role, as a caravan defender you are automatically aligned with every caravan, I think that will be the most likely case. As I think they are trying to encourage progressing down either brigand or defender but not both (on the same char), however I do think that would be interesting if you come across a competitor transporting goods to the same destination being able to flag brigand to them while still defending yours.

TheWolfofGar

GetDatGreg wrote: »

I think something like this could work as a guild perk for bandit-oriented guilds. I would set it up as a long cooldown ability - perhaps once per week, lasting for a 24 hour duration - that reduces caravan travel speed in the node it is used in. Have roadways "degrade" through the appearance of cosmetic potholes, branches, and other debris that would naturally hinder a cart.

On the opposite side of things, having a guild perk that improves road conditions and speeds up caravan travel for a similar duration would provide a good play/counterplay balance, effectively overwriting each other. I think there are a few interesting ways to indirectly influence the nature of nodes in a system like this.

Same, having an upkeep/tax for "Maintained Roads" perhaps set by the mayor determines how easy/quick it is maintain and repair damaged roads, where well maintained roads could go through a series of stages from Dirt - Clay - Brick - Stone each having a damaged, neutral and groomed state.

I do think a generic debuff may be too extreme unless it were perhaps a hostile action you could take in a node war, however cooldown wise I agree if you are blocking transport the cooldown ought to be sufficiently long that people aren't continually reblocking the road every minute, Perhaps when a road has recently been blocked it enters a "patrolled" state and cannot be blocked for 2-6 hours. my concern there is in application and needing to track paths as entities with status effects. Perhaps making it a party ability and having it only accessible when 8 brigands are together and they get a 2-6 hour cd that persists even if the party disbands. so they cannot abuse by dropping party and reforming.

Sapiverenus

You just break the obstacle. What's the issue. Everyone has spells and superstrength.
If players want to block the road then fight them; no need for cooldowns.
Some NPCs to help you would be alright though; Mayor or some officer can do a little army control.

TheWolfofGar

Sapiverenus wrote: »

You just break the obstacle. What's the issue. Everyone has spells and superstrength.
If players want to block the road then fight them; no need for cooldowns.
Some NPCs to help you would be alright though; Mayor or some officer can do a little army control.

It will depend on level of inconvenience, and difficulty of breaking the obstacle, eg lets say if undefended an obstacle takes ~1-2 mins to clear, without cooldowns or limits on the number of blockades, someone could start +10-30 minutes to your trip which I think would get annoying, setting up a proper barricade should imo take anywhere from 2-5 minutes in game depending on # of party members or proficiency if it's a proper skill.

the cd is to discourage people running up roads making barricades and not actually defending them just to be annoying.

But I agree it would incentivize Mayors and Officers to preform road maintenance. It's why I think roadblocks/obstacles should be open pvp zones.